The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-02-09
THE COMING CAMP.
An Interesting Descriptive Letter from
Cooke.


Cooke.
Cooke City, Montana, Feb. LIST, 1887.
Especial correspondence. 1.-The Clark's
Fork mining country, better known as
the New World mining district, has
been known more or less for the past
sixteen years, old time prospectors who
were prospecting the country in this Sec
tion at the time, located various claims,
but the difficulty attending getting in
and out here over high and rugged
mountains, preventing them from doing
any work, besides this section being
then on the Crow Indian reservation.
In 1877, a company was organized in
Bozeman, Montana, named the
BOHEMIAN MINING AND SMELLING co.
An old-time Mexican furnace was built,
and the company operating done quite a
little work, other parties also working
their various prospects. Just as things
were going along smoothly, the Nez
Perce war broke out and everything be-
longing to the company was destroyed,
besides everybody being driven out Of
camp. Everything then lay in dor
mant state until 1882, after the treaty
with the Crow Indians bad been ratified
and this portion. Of their land thrown
open for settlement. Then permanent
locations were made, Since then the
camp has been coming to the front, as
many mining experts who have been
here during the past summer all freely
acknowledge that the surfate indications
are the best they have ever seen in any
Of their prospecting trips.
Below give you description as near
as can be got at during this time of the
year, the snow being too deep to do
much snow-shoeing. Cooke City and
mines lies in the southeastern corner OF
Gallatin county, Montana. The mines
and various prospects that are being de.
yeloped lie between Soda Butte creek
and Saltwater, on mountains named
Miller, Henderson, Fisher and Sheep.
On the south side of the town lies Woody
Mountain and the Republic Mountain,
upon which lies the great
REPUBLIC MINE,
which was sold in 1882 to Maj. Geo. O.
Eaton, of Cheyenne, Wyou for $4,000.
Maj. Eaton formed stock company in
Cheyenne. A 5O-ton capacity water
jacket smelter was then built. During
the fall of 1888, after an unsuccessful at.
tempt to run, the works were closed
down. Once more the camp remained
in dormant state. In 1885. Gassert &
Reding, formerly of Butte, Montana,
who sold the famous Blue Bird mine Of
that place for $10O, 900, became interested
in this place, also Frank Esler, of the
Bozeman Coal Co. To the latter gentle
man great credit is due, by his untirine
efforts to prove this camp, whereupon
Mr.. Esler fitted up the old Bozeman
company's smelter without any encour.
agement from outsiders. A perfect sue.
cess was made, and he continued run
ming the same for several months. Tha
same fall the Republic Mining company
commenced operations in the month of
December, which, under the manage.t
ment of skilled assayer, Jno. P. Hum
phrey, Of Swansea, Eng, was made a
success. The company shut down al
works Nov. 10Th, 1885, on account ol
running out OF coke, which has to be
transported some 65 miles on wagon
roads over very rough country. The
most of the road lies IN the Yellowstone
National Park, and as yet congress ha,
appropriated nothing towards it, al
though there Is biiF before the house
The Republic company used most O
their own ores, they bought custom ore
for fluxing. The company has bonded
the HON estake mine, also this Rara Avis
the latter for $75 900 and the former fol
100000. Work on the Republic mine
shows thousands of tons of ore in sight
THE sHoo FLY,
bonded by Gassert, Black 4 Co. for $780,.
900, and one quarter bought out and out
by Gassert q Reding. Work on this
mine done by them, shows 600 feet ol
tunneling and shafting, ore being found
in both places. The vein runs from six
inches to fifteen feet, the main ore vein
being twelve feet wide. Fifteen tons ol
carbonates has been taken out in the
past year. The ore averages $27 to the
ton, costing for mining and hauling to
the Republic smelter IS q ton, leaving
$22 net. At present only few men are
working on the mine, there being nc
place to put the ore. In the coming
summer Gassert & Co. will operate ex.
tensively on this mine. The
BLACK WARRIOR
lies on Henderson mountain and il
owned by Gassert, Black & Co. There
has been considerable work done on this
mine, which shows up to be as good
piece of property as any in the camp
Two tunnels have been run in, besides
two shafts sunk, one 45 feet and one e
feet. Both shafts have operated bodies
of ore. The latter shaft, by cross cut
ting, shows twenty feet of solid ore.
tunnel is now being run, in order to taI
the main vein. A contract Is now bein,
worked on for a $50 foot tunnel. tn,
ore averages $S5 in gold and silver. Tn,
MORNING STAR,
on the same mountain, owned by Gas
sert & Reding, shows up fine vein o
rich galena ore, averaging SIS in gol,
and silver 10 the ton, carrying about 4,
per cent lead. Some 400 feet of tunnel
ing has been done on this property AM
still the main ore body has not been de
veloped. A 100 foot contract is nov
being run on. which is showing mp vel
After Mr.. Esler threw up the Bozema
company's smelter, Gsssert 4 Co. lease,
the same. When operating all last sum
mer, they turned out 200 tons of bullior
which was shipped to Omaha, the bul
lion being lead bullion. averaging $175
the ton, the ores used in the smelte
being the Shoe Fly, Black Warrio
Uncle Sam and the White Warrio
Being an old time furnace, as mentione
in the first part of nv letter. some twer